Russians Stage Doll Protest in Barnaul

When authorities in the Siberian city of Barnaul refused to allow citizens to hold a demonstration protesting the nation’s controversial parliamentary results, activists took matters into their own hands. Well, the hands of their dolls anyway.

The Guardian reports that disgruntled residents creatively overcame authorities’ obstinence by arranging dozens of small dolls, toys, and teddy bears in the shape of a mock protest. The dolls’ placards, which include such phrases as “I’m for clean elections” and “A thief should sit in jail, not in the Kremlin,” make it clear that many Russians oppose the nation’s parliamentary election results and Vladimir Putin’s expected return to the presidency. However, many Barnaul citizens are equally as disgusted by the authorities repeated refusal to allow residents to hold a sanctioned demonstration.

"The authorities' attempt to limit citizens' rights to express their position has become absurd," said Lyudmila Alexandrova, a student and protest organizer. "We wanted to hyperbolize this attempt and show the absurdity and farce of officials' struggle with their own people."

Of course, police in Barnaul aren’t happy about the mini protest and are investigating the legality of the matter.

"In our opinion, this is still an unsanctioned public event,” said deputy police chief Andrei Mulintsev.